Excepts from Haunted San Pedro by Brian Clune
Many people who have come up to the chapel over the years and wandered the gardens have reported what they originally thought were one of the grounds’ caretakers. The first thing that catches their eye is that he is dressed in Native American garb as he busily picks weeds and tends to the flowers and plants about him. Thinking he is an employee of the church, guests have approached him to ask about the many plants, only to have him vanish in front of their eyes before they can speak. When these guests ask about this gentleman of the clerks in the gift shop, they are told they don’t know what they are talking about or are told that there is no such employee at the church. Who this old man is has been lost in time, but many believe he is one of the native Gabrielino/Tongva people who inhabited this land before the Europeans arrived.
Another strange happening at the site is the appearance of a giant white owl that will become visible right in front of guests. There will be no sound of wings or the noise of the giant bird settling on the branch or bush it appears on; it simply is just there. This owl is never threatening or hostile; it simply looks at the person or people it is interested in, with its head turning slightly from side to side as if listening and then flaps its wings and disappears. It is believed by many to be a good omen and usually can be spotted around the same days when the spectral Indian makes his presence known. Others believe that the owl is the Indian’s guardian and that the reason they are seen close together is that the owl is keeping watch over his charge. No one knows for sure.
Editor’s note: Special thanks to Brian Clune and Acadia Publishing for allowing us to share a timely ghost story with our readers. With the closing and hopeful future relocation of the Wayfarers Chapel, one must wonder if the mysterious happenings detailed in Haunted San Pedro will continue at the original chapel location, or if the spectral visitors will seek out the new location to haunt…
Brian Clune has traveled the entire state of California researching its haunted hot spots and historical locations to bring knowledge of the paranormal and the wonderful history of the state to those interested in learning. To discover many more local hauntings in Palos Verdes and San Pedro, pick up a copy of Haunted San Pedro by Brian Clune. The book can be purchased locally at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center gift shop, the Peninsula Pharmacy and the Battleship Iowa Museum, or purchased online from Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/9781467135771.
